


Too Complicated

by Salmon_I



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 01:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7824130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmon_I/pseuds/Salmon_I
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>America and England talk briefly at the Crystal Palace Dinosauria Display at the Great Exhibition of 1851.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Complicated

**_1851_ **

There was something fascinating about them. They looked like something ancient and terrifying. Something from childhood stories he scarcely remembered. With dragons and monsters and knights. Something that existed well before him. Though, he supposed, there was a sort of comfort in knowing that the statues he was studying represented something that had existed not just before him, but everyone else as well. For a change, it wasn't a matter of being the youngest, because compared to the creatures in question they all were young. He almost wanted to touch one, even though he knew it would only be cold concrete and not warm flesh.

"Owens names them Dinosauria."

England was calm as he studied the statues, not looking at the younger nation. That wasn't unusual, really. Every meeting since the Revolution had been like that. England seemed to find a way to talk to him without looking at him. And sometimes, just sometimes, America wanted to grab his arms and yank him around to face him. To make him look at him. It was a feeling he couldn't explain, so per usual he ignored it and looked back at the display. "Owens, huh?"

England cleared his throat, because he didn't miss the tone in the other's voice, but he couldn't bring himself to lecture him on it. Whatever faults he found in the other, he could not blame him for what wasn't his doing. After all, it had begun to seem that Owens went out of his way to be unpleasant to everyone. He'd lectured him on it once, and was given a scathing reply about his own demeanor. Which he unfortunately had no defense for, since they both knew it was painfully true. He'd gone to talk to Mantell just to piss him off, though. He'd only started speaking to him again during the preperations for the Great Exhibition. Or possibly because Mantell was dead, so he wasn't there to antagonize anymore. Darwin on the other hand...

"He is a brilliant man."

"Hm." America held his tongue and walked forward to study another portion of the exhibit. The way the animal was squatting, belly dragging on the ground, seemed off somehow. "This set is weird."

"Iguanodon...Mantell thought they should be standing. But..." But Mantell had died and Owens had had his way with the exhibit. And that wasn't to say it was bad in anyway. Like the man himself, the exhibit was brilliant, but flawed.

"Who's Mantell?" America tilted his head.

England only shook his head, and decided it wasn't worth a long explanation. The scenario too complicated, and completely off the subject. "He was the geologist who first discovered evidence of these." He gestured to the display.

His wife had found the teeth, actually, but he'd been the one to study them and realize their importance. Nobody had believed him at first, and he'd even been mocked early on. With this display bringing so much attention to the field, it truly should have been Mantell's triumph. But then there'd been the whole thing with Owen's and Mantell's own contribution was almost forgotten - even by his own peers...complicated. Too complicated to have a whole discussion with America with especially.

England wasn't sure how to handle the other anyway. Seventy years was hardly enough time to let go of past wounds. Forty too long to hold onto anger. He was striving for detachment, but there were times what he wanted most was to shake the other and demand answers. If he was certain he could handle them he might have done it.

America was gazing at the statues again. "They existed before any of us...say, do you think they had nations? Y'know...Dinosauria nations or whatever. They say they were everywhere, right? Just like people. So maybe there were nations, although that kind of is a scary thought. I mean, just look at them."

And other times that he felt like he was dealing with a mere child and he was foolish to think there were real answers to be had. England gave a sigh and turned away. "You are a complete idiot." He threw over his shoulder as he walked away.

"It was a legitimate question!" He shouted after him, before giving a huff and glancing at the statues again. Giving into whim he reached out and touched one. Cold carved concrete. As he drew back his hand he wondered why it was so easy to reach out to the unmoving statue, and so hard to reach out to the nation he'd just let walk away.

 

 

_Fini_

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the prompt Science for the USUK summer camp several years ago. It was my first time trying to write America/England, and my muse went - ANGST! LOL Ah, Owens...Owens was a 19th Century Troll. He wrote anonymous articles that insulted fellow scientists. He was brilliant in his own right, but a real pain in the ass. XD


End file.
